2016 -- S 3007

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LC006020

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THAT THE COASTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

COUNCIL AND THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL

MANAGEMENT STREAMLINE THE PERMITTING PROCESS FOR AQUACULTURE AND

IDENTIFY AREAS SUITABLE FOR AQUACULTURE

     Introduced By: Senator V. Susan Sosnowski

     Date Introduced: May 19, 2016

     Referred To: Senate Environment & Agriculture

     WHEREAS, The aquaculture industry is an integral component of the local seafood

market in Rhode Island and vitally important to our state economy. The 2015 Aquaculture in

Rhode Island Report issued by the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) illustrates

the growth of the aquaculture industry in Rhode Island, citing increases in the number of farms,

area under cultivation, consumption and the number of farm workers employed; and

     WHEREAS, In 2015, the farm gate value (the value for the product paid to the farmer) of

the state's aquaculture products increased 7 percent, from just over $5 million in 2014 to $5.4

million; the number of farms increased from 55 to 61, with a total of 241.38 acres farmed; six

new farms were permitted, including the state's first shellfish hatchery; and the number of

aquaculture farm workers also increased 20 percent, from 142 to 171; and

     WHEREAS, In 2015, oysters remain the aquaculture product of choice in the state, with

more than 8.2 million sold for consumption, an increase of 725,040 from last year; and oyster

seed sales from Rhode Island aquaculturists were valued at $162,500; and

     WHEREAS, The Coastal Resources Management Council is the management agency

responsible for issuing permits for aquaculture farms; and

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) is

required to provide recommendations or opinions on pending aquaculture permit applications

before the permit can be approved by CRMC. Recommendations and opinions provided by

RIDEM are based upon their assessment of the environmental impact the proposed aquaculture

venture will have on existing ecosystems; and

     WHEREAS, CRMC and RIDEM have been successful making coordinated decisions

about shellfish harvesting, shellfish restoration, and shellfish aquaculture under the Rhode Island

Shellfish Management Plan since 2014. The plan implementation governing the collaborative

efforts between the CRMC and RIDEM has been described as being very valuable in regulatory

reform, guiding research projects, and for outreach and education; and

     WHEREAS, A Lean Government process is a production approach and set of methods

that seeks to eliminate all non-value added activity from a process. RIDEM has had a Lean

Government initiative in place since 2012, however, this initiative has yet to be applied to the

aquaculture permitting process; and

     WHEREAS, Implementing a Lean Government process defining the continuance of

collaborative efforts between the CRMC and RIDEM in the aquaculture permit approval process

will build upon the success of the Shellfish Management Plan; and

     WHEREAS, In addition to a Lean Government process, spatial planning and mapping

has been identified as reducing cumulative impacts of many farms and ensuring that aquaculture

stays within the surrounding ecosystem's carrying capacity; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

hereby respectfully requests that the CRMC and RIDEM, through continued collaboration,

complete a Lean Government process to increase the efficiency of the aquaculture permit

application process and, no later than January 1, 2017, recommend to the Senate President and the

Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture statutory and regulatory changes

to streamline the aquaculture permitting process; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby respectfully requests that the CRMC and RIDEM

conduct a comprehensive mapping process to identify areas that are appropriate and suitable for

aquaculture; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Director of the Coastal Resources

Management Council and the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental

Management.

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LC006020

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